


the wolf who hears the heart’s desire

by theshipshipper



Series: The Wolf [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Arya knows what’s up better than Jon, Canon Compliant, F/M, Inspired by recent teasers, POV Arya Stark, Political Jon Theory (implied), Season 8 speculation, outsider pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-12 15:30:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17470193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theshipshipper/pseuds/theshipshipper
Summary: “He’s different,” she says.“So are we. Point remains, he’s still your brother.”Arya tilts her head, turning to her sister curiously. “You mean our brother.”Sansa starts to sew again, evidently trying to avoid the conversation. Arya only keeps staring until Sansa finally gives up the pretense.She sighed and dropped Jon’s jerkin that she was mending back on her lap. “Jon is Jon.”Arya crossed her legs on her seat. “And that means what, exactly?”





	the wolf who hears the heart’s desire

**Author's Note:**

> i’m posting this from my scriptwriting class so i’m at least being productive with something hahaha
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

The days following Bran’s revelation is both stressful and exhausting, but not for the reasons it should be. 

The battle with the Others come closer and closer everyday, but with Jon playing his little game with the white-haired Queen, it seems to be taking an eternity.

As they’ve heard the Dragon Queen to be quite temperamental - and Jon himself attested to this fact - they’ve all agreed that it’s much safer to keep his parentage a secret for now.

One small move and the woman might burn them all.

Arya may be angry with her brother, but he’s still her brother. She wouldn’t want some vengeful Queen to feed him to dragons.

But he’s a dragon, too, something dark in Arya’s mind whispers to her. The thought comes unbidden and unwelcome; she hates that she even thinks of Jon as anything other than her brother.

And out of all of then, Sansa seems to be the ine taking this all so well.

Arya took a deep breath. “Bran’s news, it... it changes things.”

Sansa looks up from her task, her hand going still in her needlework to look at Arya. “It doesn’t.”

She speaks with such certainty that Arya finds curious.

“He’s a Targaryen.”

“He’s not. I know you don’t believe that, Arya,” Sansa tells her. “You know him better than anyone. He’s a Stark, don’t let your anger blind you.”

Arya looked down. It’s true that she’s angry; for so long she’s been waiting to see her brother again, dreaming of it, even praying for it - and things didn’t go as she wanted when the time did come.

“He’s different,” she says.

“So are we. Point remains, he’s still your brother.”

Arya tilts her head, turning to her sister curiously. “You mean our brother.”

Sansa starts to sew again, evidently trying to avoid the conversation. Arya only keeps staring until Sansa finally gives up the pretense.

She sighed and dropped Jon’s jerkin that she was mending back on her lap. “Jon is Jon.”

Arya crossed her legs on her seat. “And that means what, exactly?”

Sansa shook her head. “We were never close as children, I just mean — the situation is not as difficult for me as it is for you.”

“I’d imagine losing another of our family to the enemy, regardless of how distant you were from each other, would still be devastating.”

Sansa turns to her sharply. “Jon is doing what he has to for the North. For our family. Never think otherwise.”

Deep down, Arya knows this to be true. But she doesn’t want to let herself forgive him just yet.

She studied Sansa carefully, testing the waters. “You trust him?”

Sansa scoffs and shakes her head. “Of course. And so do you, so stop fishing.”

Arya grins. “I’m a Tully, fishing is in my blood.” Seriously now, she adds: “It’s dangerous... this fantasy of yours.”

Arya sees it clearly; with Jon around, her face lights up the same way it used to when she thought of her fairytales and the Princes who came to save the damsels.

Caught, Sansa still doesn’t meet Arya’s gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’ve known you all my life, Sansa. If I know Jon better than anyone then it goes the same for you - for better or for worse. This thing you have with him, whether you two know it or not, it may doom us all.”

As it turns out, all hell broke loose the last time a Targaryen took a Stark for his wife.

Sansa’s quiet for a while until —

“What’s so wrong with loving him? I’m not asking for more.”

It’s the closest Arya has gotten to getting the truth out of either of them, but it’s only been days since Jon’s parentage was revealed and she hasn’t even spoken to Jon since. If she did talk to him though, he’d probably admit the same thing.

It’s obvious this has been going on before Arya even came back. She suspects that it shall keep on going until this is all over.

“Nothing,” Arya finally breathes out. She didn’t mean to make Sansa sad. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“I didn’t mean to fall in love with him,” Sansa goes on, playing with her fingers as she looked at anything but Arya. “I thought I was - I felt so wretched for thinking such things.” She paused. “You don’t know how relieved I was to find out he’s not my brother.”

“I know,” Arya admits. “I saw the way you looked at him then, when Bran was telling us. You looked at him exactly as he looked at you.”

Sansa doesn’t seem to believe her, but she’s right nonetheless. Her theory is only strengthened when Jamie Lannister comes into Winterfell’s gates, pledging himself to Sansa Stark and her alone.

It’s not only a slight to the Dragon Queen but it also seems to hit a nerve with Jon.

“He’s a Kingslayer,” Jon grits out as soon as they’re in the privacy of Sansa’s solar.

As what is quickly becoming a habit, Arya stands back to spectate. They never need her in these conversations, they manage to fight and make-up all on their own, but it isn’t any less entertaining to watch.

“And as you’ll notice, I’m not a King,” Sansa points out, not inaccurately.

Not a king, yes, Arya thought. But every bit the Queen she was always meant to be.

Jon seems to be thinking the same thing, based on the exasperated look on his face. “Even so, he’d broken his vows once. Who’s to say he won’t do it again?”

Arya is of the same position as Jon here. The Kingslayer is no better than the rest of his brood; they should be punishing him, not giving him a place iin Winterfell as Sansa’s guard.

“I am not the Mad King. Ser Jamie would not have any reason to break faith.”

Jon scoffed. “You’re not getting the point. I’ll not have you guarded by someone who’s murdered - “

“You do not have a say in the matter, Jon. I choose my own protector.”

The words seem to have struck him for some reason, staring at Sansa as though she might as well have stabbed him in the chest. “I thought you said no one could protect anyone? Why are you defending the Kingslayer?”

Jon doesn’t notice but Sansa offers a hand to pet Ghost, which the Direwolf accepts thoughtlessly. It seems Sansa’s protector has chosen her as well.

“I am not. I’m merely pointing out facts. Truly, Jon, what is this about?”

Arya’s surprised she still doesn’t get it. Or maybe she’s intentionally pretending not to know exactly what it is that bothers Jon.

“It’s about him. You said it yourself, Cersei Lannister will not stop until she’s taken her revenge and what if he’s a part of all that? I don’t want Jamie Lannister anywhere near you, Sansa.“

Sansa’s expression shifts and Arya can tell this had been the ploy all along. “I’ve told you the risk of being around the Dragon Queen as well, but did you listen?”

Jon’s face immediately falls at that. “We’ve discussed this. I thought - “

“I have offered you my counsel and you decided to disregard it. Unfortunately, I must do the same now.” Sansa looked him in the eye. “I shall accept Ser Jaime’s oath.”

“Sansa - “

“Jon.” She sighed in frustration. “We have more pressing matters than the Kingslayer. The Wall has fallen, you have a war to fight.”

“How am I meant to leave you with a Lannister right here? An enemy In our own home.”

“You will do it as you have done once before. As you’ll remember, I was able handle my own troubles when it came up.”

It’s another stab to the chest, Arya can tell. “Sansa...” he says helplessly, and of course Sansa can’t keep being angry when he makes that pouty face of his.

Her face softened as she gazed at him. “Jon, trust me. I know what I’m doing.”

“I do trust you. You’re not the problem here,” he said quietly, meaning for only Sansa to hear.

“Then what is?”

“I hate that you won’t allow me to protect you,” he says, voice even quieter than before. “And I hate that a part of me fears I won’t be able to.”

Arya has half a mind to stay, just to see where this all goes, but it’s none of her business. She slips out of the room quietly, her siblings can deal with their shit on their own.

The following day, as Jon is set to leave with his men for war, Arya sees him linger in the courtyard for a moment. He twists on his horse to gaze up at Sanse, giving her a soft smile and a small nod.

A silent promise, Arya thinks. A promise of what, they’ll all have to wait to find out


End file.
